Past Issues

Some providers may be experiencing longer wait times or busy signals when calling BCBSF for information.

Advance directives are becoming more common because patients want to exercise some control over the medical care provided to them to prolong their lives.

There are some significant changes to the benefits offered through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan (FEP) this year. Changes have been made to prescription coverage, sigmoidoscopy screenings, certain immunizations and more.

The Guide for Hospitals and Facilities, a comprehensive Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Health Options reference guide, was mailed to all participating Health Options, PPC, and PPS/Traditional acute care hospitals, dialysis centers, home health agencies, psychiatric and substance abuse facilities and ambulatory surgical centers in January.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s HMO, Health Options, has introduced its new redesigned individual HMO BlueCare products available to qualified persons under age 65.

Physicians can access the most recent listing of LabCorp Patient Service Centers facilities for routine clinical testing through an automated toll-free telephone number.

Health Options is committed to ensuring that members receive quality health care from our network of independent contracting health care providers.

The phone number for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s (BCBSF) technical Help Desk will change April 1. The new number is 904-905-8880.

The Centers for Disease Control has revised its recommended childhood immunization schedule for the year 2000.

Do you prescribe inhaled beta2- agonists for your asthma patients and provide them with instructions for its use?

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) BlueCard program allows BCBS members to obtain health care services when they are out of their plan’s service area.

BCBSF has contracted with three additional statewide providers for durable medical equipment (DME).

Florida Health Care Times is now being mailed to participating BCBSF and Health Options home health, DME, physical therapist and mental health professionals, as well as ambulatory surgery centers and dialysis centers.

Would Virtual Office (VO) benefit your office? Find out by visiting http://www.bcbsfl.com/html/virtual_office.html. You can find out about VO, what benefits it offers, capabilities we expect to provide in the future and how you can get VO.

The dramatic increase in the number of VO sites means that more hospitals and physicians are discovering the benefits of Virtual Office.

The year 2000 promises to be pivotal as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) develops online HMO claims processing and payment capabilities for Virtual Office (VO).

Virtual Office (VO) combines state-of-the-art technology with improved processes.

Providers can connect with Virtual Office (VO) in two ways: through our secured internal intranet Web site or by integrating VO with their own practice management system software.

Since April 1, 1999, Health International (HI) has been administering utilization management services for GM and Delphi’s non-HMO salaried employees and non-Medicare retirees and their dependents under the GM Salaried Health Care Program.

The GM National Lab Network Program was DISCONTINUED Nov. 1, 1998.